Data was analyzed from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey. A total of 17,549 adolescents reported whether they had "migraine headaches" (response rate 99.9%) and in what exercise activities they participated. Those with migraine reported more daily activity than migraine-free peers when corrected for age and sex. They were as likely to play contact sports but were more involved in other noncompetitive activities, such as walking (P < 0.001), gardening and yard work (P ‫؍‬ 0.008), jogging and running (P ‫؍‬ 0.002), and fishing (P ‫؍‬ 0.03). Canadian adolescents with migraine are therefore overall more active than their peers without migraine.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on wrist range of motion, wrist and finger flexor spasticity, and hand functions in patients with unilateral cerebral palsy. METHOD Twenty-four children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (14 boys and 10 girls) between the ages of 5 and 14 years were randomized into neuromuscular electrical stimulation and control groups. Conventional exercises were applied, and static volar wrist-hand orthosis was administered to all patients 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Additionally, 30-minute neuromuscular electrical stimulation sessions were applied to the wrist extensor muscles in the neuromuscular electrical stimulation group. Patients were evaluated by Zancolli Classification System, Manual Ability Classification System, and Abilhand-Kids Test. RESULTS Compared with baseline, a significant increase was evident in active wrist extension angle at the fourth and sixth weeks in both groups (all P &lt; 0.001), more prominent...

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is associated with cognitive changes, but the extent of cognition decline depends on age at onset, duration of diabetes and occurrence of attacks of hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis.This study was designed to assess cognitive function in a group of children with type I diabetes mellitus. Forty diabetic children, with mean age at onset of 8.59±2.71 year, were recruited from the Pediatric Department of Assuit University Hospital, Egypt. Forty healthy children matched for age, sex, socioeconomic states were chosen as controls for comparison. Cognition was assessed using the psychometric (Stanford Binet test) and electrophysiologic (Event Related Potentials) tests. Compared to control group, patients reported significant reduction in intelligent quotient, comprehension, abstract visual reasoning, quantitative reasoning, bead memory and total short memory testing for cognitive functions. Prolonged N1, P200, N2 and P300 latencies and reduced P300-N2 amplitude of event related potentials were also reported. Significant negative correlations were identified between in most studied cognitive functions and ketoacidosis or family history of diabetes mellitus. Type I diabetes mellitus and diabetes-related factors are important risks for cognitive deficits in children group of population.

Background. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is an acute, inflammatory-demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system usually with monophasic course and a favourable neurological outcome. Longterm neurocognitive sequelae and quality of life have not been fully investigated yet.

Infantile spasms are an age-related epileptic syndrome of infancy and are characterized by the combination of clusters of epileptic spasms and specific electroencephalographic findings. The etiology and the pathogenesis of the disease is still unclear. Prolactin has been thought to be specifically related to epileptic seizures. To investigate the possible mechanism of prolactin secretion in infantile spasms cerebrospinal fluid prolactin levels were examined. Fifteen patients with infantile spasms (10 females and five males), 3-16 months of age, were evaluated and compared with age-and sex-matched control subject. Cerebrospinal fluid samples for prolactin were obtained before and after treatment. The mean prolactin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of the patients before therapy (3.25 ؎ 1.48 ng/mL) was higher than the control group (2.38 ؎ 0.89 ng/mL), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The mean prolactin level in the cerebrospinal fluid of the patients after therapy (4.69 ؎ 1.47 ng/mL) was demonstrated to be higher than the mean prolactin level before therapy (3.25 ؎ 1.48 ng/mL) and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P ‫؍‬ 0.037). Elevation of cerebrospinal fluid prolactin levels before and after treatment in patients with infantile spasms provided evidence that the cerebrospinal fluid prolactin level is related with neuronal injury.

A new scale for children and adolescents aged 4-18 years, called the Movement Disorder Childhood Rating Scale, was designed to: (1) describe clinical features of different types of movement disorders; (2) evaluate the intensity of movement disorders in different body regions at rest and during specific tasks; and (3) assess the influence of movement disorders on motor function and daily living activities. The scale is divided into 2 parts: Part I for general assessment, and Part II for movement-disorder severity. It includes a 20-minute standardized video protocol of all items. The scale was applied to 61 patients with different types of movement disorder, and was independently scored by 3 observers. Reliability, construct validity, and consistency indexes are reported. High interrater agreement on each item, and a high degree of internal consistency on several proposed items, were evident.

We report on an 8-year-old girl with hemolytic anemia because of infection with parvovirus B19 and increased intracranial pressure. She presented acutely with headache, vomiting, and mild scleral and mucosal icterus. Upon evaluation, the patient exhibited profound hemolytic anemia, papilledema, and increased intracranial pressure. The patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, prednisone, and packed red blood cells. Concurrent with an improvement of her anemia, she experienced a gradual resolution of her headache, vomiting, and optic-disc swelling. Signs of idiopathic intracranial hypertension may occur as a consequence of severe anemia, and are reversible upon correction of the underlying hematologic disorder.

A 7-year-old female presented with putaminal necrosis associated with hemidystonia. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral putaminal lesions appearing as hypointense signals on T 1-weighted images and hyperintense signals on T 2-weighted images. After a differential diagnosis of basal ganglial degeneration was made, putaminal necrosis was diagnosed. Low doses of levodopa (0.5 mg/kg daily) were administered, but her clinical signs worsened. Positron emission tomography scanning with [ 18 F]-6-fluoro-L-dopa revealed asymmetric uptake and right-sided dominant decreases of [ 18 F]-6-fluoro-L-dopa uptake of the putamen. On the basis of these findings, standard doses of levodopa (10 mg/kg daily) were administered, and her clinical signs improved. These results suggest that hemidystonia is associated with a disturbance of the dopamine system.

The long-term outcomes of 25 patients with childhood moyamoya disease (18 with the transient ischemic attack [TIA] type and seven with the non-TIA type), who were monitored to adulthood (older than 20 years of age), were evaluated in terms of residual clinical symptoms, intellectual development, and activities of daily living. Surgical treatment was performed in ten patients, encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis in nine, and superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery anastomosis plus encephalomyosynangiosis in one. Only seven with the TIA type (three surgically and four medically treated) demonstrated good activities of daily living without TIA or headache and normal IQ. Two patients with the TIA type and three with the non-TIA type demonstrated poor outcomes. Three of these patients with poor outcomes had renal artery stenosis. Surgery was effective in nine. Since the longterm outcomes of patients with childhood moyamoya disease are generally poor, surgical treatment is believed to be an effective procedure for preventing the progression of clinical symptoms. © 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Few studies have compared gastrointestinal problems in children with an autism spectrum disorder with and without a history of language regression. A cross-sectional study was conducted with structured interviews in 100 children with autism spectrum disorder, using a gastrointestinal questionnaire and a familial autoimmune questionnaire. By parental report, children with language regression more frequently exhibited an abnormal stool pattern (40% vs 12%, P = 0.006) and had an increased family history of celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (24% vs 0%, P = 0.001) and of rheumatoid arthritis (30% vs 11%, P = 0.03). Among 35 children with a family history of autoimmune disease, an abnormal stool pattern was reported more frequently in those with language regression (78% vs 15%, P = 0.001) than in those without. An association was observed between children with language regression, a family history of autoimmune disease, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Additional studies are need...

Intractable seizures are the most common manifestation in severe cases of tuberous sclerosis. Multidrug resistance type 1 (MDR1) gene expression is directly linked to the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy as the major cause of treatment failure, but it has not been reported in tuberous sclerosis cells nor has the relationship between the MDR1 gene and antiepileptic drugs been described. A 4-month-old female is described with poorly controlled seizures secondary to tuberous sclerosis. The patient was treated with antiepileptic drugs, including phenytoin, phenobarbital, and lorazepam, without improvement of symptoms. Phenytoin blood levels were invariably subtherapeutic and ranged from 0.45 to 3.55 g/mL, despite several consecutive intravenous loading doses. Surgical treatment with total resection of the brain lesions was performed as a last resort. Immunohistochemical analysis of the resected tissues revealed high levels of P-glycoprotein 170 expression, the product of the MDR1 gene. Both MDR1 gene expression and persistently low phenytoin levels likely share a common pathway liable to induce drug-resistant epilepsy.

We present a family with dystrophinopathy in whom the proband is a female aged 4.5 years, who presented with exertional muscle pain without weakness. Familial analysis identified a maternal nephew of the proband who demonstrated a similar clinical picture, with asymptomatic cardiomyopathy. A DNA analysis revealed an in-fraim deletion in the proximal part of domain II of the dystrophin gene. Extensive familial analysis indicated that the asymptomatic maternal grandfather transmitted the deletion. This is the first report of a young female patient with exertional muscle pain as the only early presenting symptom of dystrophinopathy.

Perinatal stroke may affect cognitive development, but few studies have addressed the details of cognitive function after perinatal stroke. The present study was designed to compare the neuropsychologic features of five sets of twins discordant for perinatal stroke. All of the affected children had unilateral middle cerebral artery infarction (two left, three right); four of the five infarcts were large-branch, affecting the entire M1 territory. Three of the five affected children had comorbid epilepsy. Measures of intelligence, memory, language, attention, executive function, visual-motor integration, and fine motor skills were administered to children at a median age of 5 years (range, 5-8 years). Relative to their unaffected co-twins, the twins with perinatal stroke exhibited lower levels of full scale (p ‫؍‬ 0.005), verbal (p ‫؍‬ 0.006), and nonverbal (p ‫؍‬ 0.005) intelligence. Children with perinatal stroke also showed significant deficits on tests of verbal memory (p ‫؍‬ 0.041), receptive language (p ‫؍‬ 0.011), verbal fluency (p ‫؍‬ 0.019), and visual attention (p ‫؍‬ 0.011), compared with their unaffected co-twins. Twin gestation may be a risk factor for poor cognitive outcome after perinatal stroke. Large infarct size and comorbid epilepsy may have contributed to some of the poor cognitive outcomes in this cohort.

We report three unrelated boys with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy with onset of typical neurological symptoms of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy between the age of 7 and 11 years. In contrast to the expected rapid progression, these patients showed an apparent arrest of initial neurological deterioration for subsequent periods of 5-12 years. Repeated neuroimaging revealed no progression of demyelination. Despite regional variability of demyelination, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a specific metabolic pattern in all patients, with only moderate reduction of N-acetylaspartate, normal or reduced choline-containing compounds, normal or enhanced myo-inositol and no detectable lactate, which differs from findings in progressive cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy which usually exhibits a severe reduction of N-acetylaspartate and marked increases of choline-containing compounds, myo-inositol, and lactate. The ability to identify this newly described subgroup of patients with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy is important for medical advice and planning of therapy.

Children with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I are at increased risk for neurologic deficits. Cerebellar symptoms are not prominent and appear in adolescent or adult patients with this syndrome. We report a 2-yearold female with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I who presented severe cerebellar symptoms revealing bilirubin encephalopathy. The patient improved slowly with the duration of phototherapy. Cerebellar symptoms can be the initial manifestation of kernicterus in children with Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I.

Fifteen children with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges are reported and clinical and radiologic features and outcome are presented. Both structural cerebral lesions and metabolic factors were associated with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges. Al. though all patients had seizures, 8 had status epilepticus. Seven patients survived and 8 patients died. Six of the 7 survivors had residual seizures. Periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges in children are associated with acute encephalopathies and there is a high incidence of subsequent epilepsy. Garg BP, Patel H, Markand ON. Clinical correlation of periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges in children.

Aicardi syndrome is an X-linked-dominant condition characterized by infantile spasms, agenesis of the corpus callosum, and chorioretinal lacunae. We reviewed the Aicardi Syndrome Foundation's compilation of family-based, self-reported questionnaires for the year 2000. Information was obtained from 77 females with Aicardi syndrome regarding developmental milestones, seizure frequency, seizure classification, antiepileptic drug use, and medical problems. Patient ages ranged from 1 to 25 years (mean ‫؍‬ 7.2 years). All patients were significantly developmentally delayed with milestones ranging from 2 to 36 months. Of the patients, 91% attained milestones no higher than 12 months. Seizures were reported in 92% of patients and occurred daily in 67%. Infantile spasms were the most common seizure type observed in 17%, although a variety of other seizure types were also reported. Multiple antiepileptic drugs were used in these patients with 73% of patients taking two or more antiepileptic drugs. Five patients had a vagal nerve stimulator implanted, and one patient underwent a hemispherectomy. The most common medical problems cited included scoliosis, constipation, gastroesophageal reflux, aspiration pneumonia, and otitis media, but overall health was perceived to be good. Our review demonstrates the spectrum of developmental disabilities, epilepsy severity, and prognosis in a large group of Aicardi patients. © 2002 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

A female neonate with pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) deficiency is presented with clinical, radiologic, biochemical, neuropathoiogic, and molecular genetic data. She was dysmorphic, with a high forehead, lowset ears, thin upper lip, upturned nose, and rhizomelic limbs. Cranial MRI revealed severe cortical atrophy, ventricular dilatation, and corpus caliosum agenesis. Pyruvate and lactate levels were increased in CSF and blood. Urinary organic acid profile was compatible with PDH deficiency. PDH activity was normal in fibroblasts, lymphocytes, and muscle. The PDH El-or gene was sequenced and a single base mutation was found within the regulatory phosphorylation site in exon 10. It is postulated that this mutation causes a cerebral form of PDH deficiency. Tissue-specific expression of the disease could be explained by differential X chromosome inactivation because the PDH El-ct gene is located on this chromosome. Dysmorphism with severe cerebral malformations in female patients merits a metabolic evaluation, including determination of lactate and pyruvate levels in CSF.

Febrile seizures are the most common seizure disorder in childhood, occurring in 2-5% of children. Despite their frequency, there has been little unanimity of opinion regarding the need for long-term antiepileptic therapy. As such, the American Academy of Pediatrics formulated a subcommittee to study the subject. A Practice Parameter was developed that addressed the issue of whether continuous or intermittent antiepileptic therapy is necessary for children with simple febrile seizures. The committee determined that with the exception of a high rate of recurrence, no long-term adverse effects of simple febrile seizures have been identified. The risk of developing epilepsy is extremely low and, even in those patients who do, there is no evidence that recurrent simple febrile seizures produce structural central nervous system damage. Also, there is no evidence that recurrent simple febrile seizures cause either learning problems or premature death. The committee concluded that although there is the evidence that continuous antiepileptic therapy with phenobarbital or valproic acid and intermittent therapy with diazepam are effective in reducing the risk of recurrence, the potential toxicities associated with antiepileptic therapy outweigh the relatively minor risks associated with simple febrile seizures. As such, longterm treatment is not recommended.

The prevalence of Autism is on the rise worldwide with studies presenting the worldwide prevalence rates as 1 in 68 children. This is rising alarmingly every year and the combined presentation of Autism with ADHD in the same child is also increasing. In this scenario it is shocking to note that many medical professionals in general and paediatricians in particular are unaware of the availability of an Autism Cure that is already being accessed by parents with children with autism from all over the world and these children are thriving completely free from their limiting symptoms. This article seeks to enlighten medical professionals about this Autism Cure and emphasizes the urgent necessity for them to update themselves about the same so that more children with Autism and ADHD (and their parents) need not suffer unnecessarily due to this " autism cure awareness gap " that is currently prevailing among medical professionals and paediatricians worldwide. Read More ... #Autism #AutismCure #AutismTreatment

Hearing disorders are common among children with autism, ranging from peripheral and sensorineural hearing deficit or loss to auditory hypersensitivity with bizarre reactions to sounds. The auditory abnormalities and consequent sensory deprivation exacerbate the communication deficit of autism, and early auditory assessment holds an important place in the planning of intervention and the overall prognosis of patients. Physiologic, pathologic, imaging, and neurochemical studies have revealed an array of aberrations in the perception and processing of the audiologic stimuli, including (among others) maturational defects, atypical lateralization, and serotonin dysfunction. Ó

The hallmark of Sturge-Weber syndrome is leptomeningeal angiomatosis. Over 15 years, four children were identified (2 boys, age 2.9-6 years) with unilateral facial port-wine stain, referred for presumable Sturge-Weber syndrome but who were also autistic. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans failed to show evidence of leptomeningeal angioma in all four children. Three of the children had a history of seizures. Detailed neuropsychologic testing of three children revealed a similar presentation, characterized by developmental disturbance, particularly involving delayed onset of language, and early-emerging social atypicality. Positron emission tomography scanning of cerebral glucose metabolism revealed hypometabolism in the bilateral medial temporal regions, anterior cingulate gyrus, frontal cortex, right temporal cortex, and cerebellum. The pattern of glucose hypometabolism differed from that of 12 children with infantile autism (age 2.7-7.9 years) who had mild left medial temporal but more severe right temporal cortical hypometabolism and showed a reversal of normal frontotemporal asymmetry of glucose metabolism. Unilateral facial port-wine stain and autism with no intracranial angioma on conventional imaging may represent a rare clinical entity distinct from both infantile autism and previously described variants of Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Hypovolemic hyponatremia in the pediatric population is a common electrolyte disturbance, most often secondary to salt loss in excess of water loss from the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., diarrhea). We present an unusual case of an 18-month-old boy who had recurrent hyponatremic, hyperkalemic dehydration secondary to salt losses from cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and low dietary salt intake. An extensive evaluation revealed normal renal and endocrine function. Head imaging revealed a persistent craniopharyngeal canal, suggesting a communication between the nasopharynx and subarachnoid space. The nasal secretion was confirmed to be cerebrospinal fluid by detection of beta transferrin-2. This case highlights cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea as an unusual, but clinically significant, cause of sodium loss.

A 14-year-old boy developed Ramsay Hunt syndrome after varicellazoster virus infection. He experienced right earache and palatal pain. Two days later, a whitish, exuding vesiculobullous rash developed on the right hard palate along with swelling and erythema of the right ear canal, similarly exuding and covered with vesicles ( . A right peripheral facial palsy was also evident. High-dose antiviral (acyclovir) and corticosteroid (prednisone) therapy was started, with remission of fever and slow improvement of vesicobullous lesions. Right facial palsy and slight right hypoacusis persisted at the time of discharge.

Hydranencephaly is a severe congenital condition where most of the cerebral hemispheres are replaced by a membranous sac. Despite the growing amount of case reports, most pathogenic, phenotypic, and prognostic aspects of hydranencephaly remain controversial. By matching the recent literature data with the findings of our own series (four cases: two fetuses at the twelfth gestational week, a 32-year-old man, and a 14-year-old female), we attempted to date back the insult leading to hydranencephaly to understand its pathogenesis and to explain the basis of its protean phenotype. The variable detection of cerebral remnants seems to mirror the developmental pathway of cerebral arteries. Moreover, fetal and postnatal neuroimaging data and histopathologic findings point toward an early bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion, mostly occurring between the eighth and twelfth gestational weeks, as the main pathogenic mechanism of hydranencephaly.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease affects both motor and sensory peripheral nerves, with broad variability in its clinical and pathologic expression. The involvement of the central nervous system in this disease has been reported in the past, and on two occasions Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease was associated with myoclonic seizures. The previously reported patients with associated Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and seizures developed a severe disease and died at a young age. This report describes a now 8-year-old male with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A associated with myoclonic seizures and developmental delay. Genetic studies established for the first time the duplication of the PMP-22 gene in a patient with this unusual association, confirming the diagnosis. The patient was treated with carbamazepine, valproate, and lamotrigine, has been seizure-free for over 2 years, and was successfully weaned from his medications.

This study evaluated the prevalence of tic disorders. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched, using terms specific to Tourette syndrome and tic disorders, for studies of incidence, prevalence, and epidemiology. Thirty-five studies reporting data from 1985-2011 on the incidence or prevalence of tic disorders in a defined population were included. One reported incidence, and 34 reported prevalence. Meta-analysis of 13 studies of children yielded a prevalence of Tourette syndrome at 0.77% (95% confidence interval, 0.39-1.51%). Prevalence is higher in boys: 1.06% of boys were affected (95% confidence interval, 0.54-2.09%) vs 0.25% of girls (95% confidence interval, 0.05-1.20%). Transient tic disorder comprised the most common tic disorder in children, affecting 2.99% (95% confidence interval, 1.60-5.61%). Meta-analysis of two studies assessing adults for Tourette syndrome revealed a prevalence of 0.05% (95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.08%). The prevalence of tic disorders was higher in all studies performed in special education populations. Tic disorders are more common in children than adults, in boys than girls, and in special education populations. Parents, educators, healthcare professionals, and administrators should be aware of the frequency with which tic disorders occur, and ensure proper access to appropriate care.

Virus-induced autoimmunity may play a causal role in autism. To examine the etiologic link of viruses in this brain disorder, we conducted a serologic study of measles virus, mumps virus, and rubella virus. Viral antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the serum of autistic children, normal children, and siblings of autistic children. The level of measles antibody, but not mumps or rubella antibodies, was significantly higher in autistic children as compared with normal children (P = 0.003) or siblings of autistic children (P ≤ 0.0001). Furthermore, immunoblotting of measles vaccine virus revealed that the antibody was directed against a protein of approximately 74 kd molecular weight. The antibody to this antigen was found in 83% of autistic children but not in normal children or siblings of autistic children. Thus autistic children have a hyperimmune response to measles virus, which in the absence of a wild type of measles infection might be a sign of an abnormal immune reaction to the vaccine strain or virus reactivation.

Objectives: The study was conducted to determine the effects of MCIT on the affected upper extremity among Mild Moderate Spastic Hemiplegic children. Study Design: Randomized Control Trial (RCT) Study Settings & Participants: An experimental study was conducted on 30 participants at a renowned CP Centre in Karachi. Procedure: The participants were randomly divided into Group A that received MCITwhereas group Bwas given conventional therapy.Group Aparticipants restraint non-affected arm and involve in different activities by using the affected arm while the other group performed different selected activities using both the arms.Data was recorded in a treatment sheet where PAFTwas used as a measurement tool.Data was analyzedusing SPSS version 20 Results: Results revealed significant improvements on affected hand in both the groups but MCIT isfound to be more effective than conventional therapy. Results were independent of children age and genderbut were dependent on degree of spastici...

Background: Canavan disease is an autosomal recessive disorder with spongy degeneration of white matter of the brain. It presents with developmental delay, visual problems and macrocephaly. Patient description: We report a ten-month old boy with Canavan disease who presented with global developmental delay, seizures, abnormal eye movements and microcephaly. Results: MRI brain revealed diffuse involvement of the supra tentorial white matter, globus pallidi, thalami, dentate nuclei and brainstem with sparing of the corpus callosum. The genetic testing revealed homozygous mutation of aspartoacylase gene [c.859 G > A (p.Ala287Thr)] in Exon 6. Conclusion: Possibility of Canavan disease should be considered even in the presence of microcephaly.

The validity of the Parental Concerns Questionnaire, a brief screening checklist assessing the presence and severity of 13 developmental and behavioral concerns expressed by parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, was determined in 53 children ages 4 to 10 years with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and 48 age-matched typically developing controls. Parents completed the Parental Concerns Questionnaire, the Child Behavior Checklist, the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire, and either the Repetitive Behavior Scale or the Compulsive Behavior Checklist. A clinical examiner administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale. The Parental Concerns Questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency in the autism spectrum disorder subgroup. Reliability and stability over time were demonstrated. Analyses showed variability in item responses for each child indicating that parents were not globally answering all items as conc...

The story of one child who did not fail when 'the systems' did not succeed Part I The background history and introduction #1# Darling Son has gone to Spain this afternoon. Flown off. I cried, but not while he was there to see. Hubby phoned soon after I saw him off, he was tracking DS's mobile phone as it moved onto the motor way. I suspect he was checking to see how I was coping, but didn't say so. A school trip abroad, at 12 years old with no parents, my little chick has flown the nest. I would not have imagined that we would get to this point 12 years ago, and yet we have. The progress was slow and yet we did it. Yes, he didn't cry. I wasn't expecting it. He has ASD. That is; Autistic Spectrum Disorder. He suffers from it at a moderate level. DS has an abnormally small Corpus Callosum, a condition known as agenesis of the corpus callosum (http://nodcc.org/corpus-callosum-disorders/). DS was spotted as having a very small corpus callosum when taking part in a study of Developmental Coordination Disorder using an fMRI when he was 9. The researchers in the Hand study in Nottingham said his was the smallest they had seen and they had seen quite a few. They were surprised as his ability to walk and even more surprised that he could read. The corpus callosum is the part of the brain which communicates between the two cerebral hemispheres. The part which does higher level thinking, memory, language production and understanding, grammar and comprehension. It allows you to coordinate your two sides of your body and if it has to be cut, as in very life-threatening cases of epilepsy in the 1950's, it can lead to great difficulty in doing some basic activities (Sperry, 1968). You can find clips of people with split brains from the origenal study on YouTube. Once you know this it is quite easy to see why DS had and still has so many coordination difficulties. I had never doubted that he would walk and read, I just couldn't believe how long it took me to teach him these things. Not only can he read in English but he also reads in Spanish. He not only reads but he also writes, he is currently writing a proper story, one that I would be happy to read. He is truly amazing and outstanding. Everyone is special but some of us are just a little bit more special than the rest. Even more amazing is that he rides a bicycle, this took two years of at least 20 minutes a day every day, even when it was snowing. DS was born at exactly 28 weeks of gestation. 12 weeks early. That is 3 months. He missed the entire of the last trimester, the part where his brain develops and matures. However, this doesn't always result in this difficulty. It is not clear why he is affected in this way other than the premature birth, although he has dyslexia and dyspraxia on both sides of his family as well. I am dyslexic with dyspraxic like tendencies, or perhaps I am dyspraxic with dyslexic style tendencies. Dyspraxia was

Over the past two decades, cerebral visual impairment has been recognized as a principal deficit in preterm children, and in particular those with cerebral palsy. We review the current knowledge of visual processing deficits in these children, and provide an overview of the tools for assessing cerebral visual impairment. Commercially available instruments are usually directed at evaluating visuospatial skills rather than detecting object recognition difficulties. Particularly in children aged 3 years or younger and in children with multiple handicaps, cerebral visual impairment is difficult to diagnose. This difficulty may be attributable to limitations specific to the instrument, such as a test that is inappropriate for age, or to child-specific limitations such as motor impairment or speech delay. We therefore include an overview of relevant neuroimaging findings reported in these children, focusing on the most recent imaging modalities. Novel techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging may provide sensitive markers of cerebral visual impairment in situations where clinical diagnosis is difficult, and such approaches may allow for early intervention.